Guest, Sign inJoin
Landmark · New Castle · New Hampshire

Fort William and Mary

Fort William and Mary was a colonial-era British fortress on the island of New Castle, at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in the Province of New Hampshire. A short trip away is Strawbery Banke, 2.3 mi off. Its mildest months, May to September, bring highs of 65–80°F.

Photo: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0
Where
In New Castle
1 place to stay
Wikipedia readers
6.2K
a year · #3,017 of 7,770
In brief

A landmark inside New Castle

Winters are cold

January nights drop to 16°, with about 65" of snow a year. When to go ↓

Rye is the nearest base

Rye is 3 miles south, with 8 places to stay. Where to stay ↓

A day trip from Boston

Boston is about 53 miles south (straight-line). Where to stay ↓

Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep

May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 65–80°. When to go ↓

An airport 6 miles away

Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM) has airline service, about 6 miles from Fort William and Mary.

Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.

When to go

The climate here

Plan a visit to Fort William and Mary around the weather below.

Jan34° / 16°
Feb36° / 18°
Mar43° / 25°
Apr55° / 35°
May65° / 45°
Jun75° / 54°
Jul80° / 61°
Aug79° / 59°
Sep71° / 52°
Oct60° / 41°
Nov49° / 31°
Dec39° / 23°
Typical highs and lows in New Castle. Green months are the mild ones. Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for New Castle. New Castle’s full climate →
About

Fort William and Mary

Fort William and Mary was a colonial-era British fortress on the island of New Castle, at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in the Province of New Hampshire. Originally known as "The Castle," it was renamed Fort William and Mary circa 1692, after the accession of William III and Mary II to the British throne. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) it was captured by rebel forces, recaptured, and later abandoned by the British. Following an 1808 rebuilding in response to increasing British hostilities, it was renamed Fort Constitution and served in the War of 1812. Another rebuilding and expansion was carried out in the wake of the Spanish-American War in 1899. The fort served actively through the first half of the 20th century and World War II.

Type
Landmark
Listed
National Register of Historic Places (1973)
Wikipedia readers
6.2K a year
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.
Where to stay

Nights near Fort William and Mary

For a bed close by, look to Portsmouth (38) and York (54).

Fort William and Mary1Portsmouth38York54Hampton63Ogunquit66Wells71Rye8Kittery9Strawbery Banke10 mi
Fort William and Mary12Places to stay in town
  1. 1Strawbery Banke
In town

New Castle

1 place to stay · 1 inn or B&B

You’re already here.

997 people

5 min drive

Portsmouth

38 places to stay · 31 hotels · 1 motel · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground

23,028 people

4 mi west of Fort William and Mary

15 min drive

York

54 places to stay · 18 hotels · 7 motels · 18 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds · 3 RV parks

14,293 people · 34% vacation homes

9 mi northeast of Fort William and Mary

15 min drive

Hampton

63 places to stay · 35 hotels · 17 motels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground

16,381 people · 21% vacation homes

11 mi southwest of Fort William and Mary

Compare 8 towns
TownFrom Fort William and MaryDrivePlaces to stayPeopleTypical homeSafety
New Castlein town—1 1 inn or B&B997$1,701K—
Portsmouth4 mi west5 min38 31 hotels · 1 motel · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground23,028$689KB−
York 34% vacation homes9 mi northeast15 min54 18 hotels · 7 motels · 18 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds · 3 RV parks14,293$636KA
Hampton 21% vacation homes11 mi southwest15 min63 35 hotels · 17 motels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground16,381$550KB+
Ogunquit 64% vacation homes13 mi northeast20 min66 23 hotels · 12 motels · 29 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins1,606$876KB
Wells 43% vacation homes17 mi north25 min71 20 hotels · 17 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 8 lodges & cabins · 16 campgrounds · 5 RV parks12,094$485KB+
Rye3 mi south5 min8 3 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins5,689$1,028KA+
Kittery7 mi southeast10 min9 4 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins11,420$469KB+

Day trip from

Straight-line miles.

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service

PSMPortsmouth International Airport at Pease6 mi
MHTManchester-Boston Regional38 mi
PWMPortland International Jetport · major hub45 mi
Places to stay: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · Safety: TownRatings Safety grade · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from Fort William and Mary’s main visitor area; drive times are estimates.
Make a day of it

Other places close by

A wider trip can take in these, within 55 miles.

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Strawbery Banke: Ken Gallager (Ken Gallager from en.wikipedia), Public domain · Harvard Stadium: Nick Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Common questions

What people ask about Fort William and Mary

Is Fort William and Mary in New Castle?

Yes. It’s inside New Castle, NH.

When is the best time to visit Fort William and Mary?

May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 65–80°.

How far is Fort William and Mary from Boston?

About 53 miles south of Boston, as the crow flies.

What is the closest airport to Fort William and Mary?

Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM), about 6 miles away. The nearest big hub is Portland International Jetport (PWM), about 45 miles.

Where should I stay near Fort William and Mary?

Portsmouth (4 mi, 38 places to stay), York (9 mi, 54 places to stay) and Hampton (11 mi, 63 places to stay).

From locals

Advice from New Castle

Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in New Castle’s Town Square.

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.